2007 J. Lohr Fog’s Reach Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2007 vintage of J. Lohr’s Fog’s Reach Pinot Noir marks our second release of this noble varietal. Grown on cobbly, sandy loam soils in the cool, windy Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey, Pinot here seems to thrive, producing tiny, deeply-colored and flavorful clusters. Comprised of Dijon clones 115, 667, 777 and Pommard 4 grown on two different rootstocks, the Pinot Noir grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed and sorted into six or twelve ton, open-top fermentation tanks in our newly created small lot winery in Paso Robles. The grapes were cold-soaked for an average of five days prior to warming and inoculation with yeast. Twice per day the Pinot Noir was punched down to optimize extraction of the delicate varietal character until the completion of alcoholic fermentation. Once pressed, the wines were settled overnight and racked to new and second fill Burgundian-coopered French oak for eight months of barrel aging prior to racking, final blending and bottling.

TECHNICAL DATA

Origin:

Fog's Reach Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County

Composition:

100% Pinot Noir, Clones 115, 667, 777 and Pommard 4

Harvest Dates:

October 2nd through October 6th, 2007

Process:

Hand-harvested early morning into 1000 lb. bins, destemmed, sorted on Vaucher-Beguet sorting table and crushed to six or twelve ton open top stainless steel fermenters

Deep red-purple with youthful hues and moderate density, the 2007 J. Lohr Fog’s Reach Pinot Noir has enticing aromas of strawberry, cherry and rhubarb jam, with a bouquet of toasted oak and vanilla. The flavors are reminiscent of stewed strawberry and cherry with oak spiciness. A wisp of fresh herbs with a velvety structure, and a long, lingering finish make the 2007 Fog’s Reach the perfect accompaniment to grilled lamb or duck.